F-1 Student Trapped? Company Failure Wrecks OPT Hope

A recent story from an F-1 visa holder has raised concern over a rare risk in the STEM OPT process. The person claimed they received a Request for Evidence after the employer in their filing allegedly lost E-Verify status before joining.

According to a Reddit post, the student applied for the STEM OPT extension using an employer that was E-Verify enrolled at the time of filing. The US federal system is required for OPT employers hiring international students.

The F-1 visa holder claimed the employer kept delaying the joining date. The company had allegedly asked the student to wait until the EAD card arrived before starting work.

During that waiting period, the student allegedly found that the employer’s E-Verify enrollment had been terminated. The company was also said to have stopped responding and refused to re-enroll.

The case created wider anxiety after the student reportedly received an RFE on work authorisation. They claimed nearly 90 days had passed since filing without actual employment starting.

This also raised fears about unemployment day counts under OPT rules. Many students closely track these days because exceeding limits can create immigration risks.

What made the situation more troubling was the alleged lack of documentation. The post claimed most communication with the employer happened verbally and through LinkedIn.

This meant there was little paper trail available when the issue surfaced. The student alleged the company later ghosted them and did not provide documents for the RFE.

The story has now worried other F-1 visa holders searching for jobs in a difficult US market. It highlights concerns when an employer becomes non-compliant after a filing is already submitted.